The March 18 Associated Press story about the governor’s plan to save Maine’s deer herd amounts to fluff.

For more than 20 years, the state has had agreements in place with landowners to protect deer wintering areas and outreach to manage them. In the end, most agreements allow landowners to do what they want on their property. Even the bureau that oversees the management of Maine’s public land has eliminated deer wintering areas in the past.

It is time for action. Maine’s whitetail deer herd in western, eastern and northern Maine is at a critical point. Current conditions have allowed coyotes and domestic dogs to kill a deer whenever they desire. Yes, a domestic dog, running at large for only a short time, is killing a deer somewhere.

There are currently laws in place to allow officials of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to be proactive about the protection of our deer herd.

Commissioner Chandler Woodcock should take the lead and direct Maine wardens to aggressively pursue domestic dog problems statewide and coyote control efforts in deer wintering areas.

There is not time to plan; action is needed immediately. The next four weeks are critical to the survival of the whitetail deer.

Rick Mills, Andover